MILAN — The global eyewear industry is gearing up for the upcoming edition of Mido, scheduled for Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, ahead of the usual dates to avoid overlapping with the Winter Olympics kicking off on Feb. 6.
The year 2025 has proven the sector’s resilience, emerging as a bright spot while the fashion sector at large was grappling with a dampened macro economy, geopolitical unrest, tariff threats and dented consumer confidence.
In the January to October period last year, sales of the Italian eyewear industry stood at 5.64 billion euros, flat versus a year earlier, showing a sequential improvement in the third and beginning of the fourth quarters of the year.
In the January to August period last year, the most recent figures available at press time, exports fell 3.4 percent to 3.51 billion euros, dented by the performance of the U.S. market. Sunglasses were impacted the hardest, with a 5.3 percent drop in exports in the period.
“Despite complexity, last year [2025] the sector managed to press ahead; this is true for eyewear juggernauts but also for small-and-medium-sized enterprises, which faced a tsunami,” said Anfao and Mido president Lorraine Berton.
“Europe has emerged as a strategic market to invest in also in 2026, whereas the U.S. has been hit harder, but cannot be replaced by other economies in terms of their contribution to the sector’s exports. We need to work tirelessly to try and stabilize the market, even if it’s a bumpy road and daily news doesn’t provide the confidence we would need,” she said.
Inside the 2025 edition of the Mido eyewear trade show.
Tullio M. Puglia/Courtesy of Mido
President Donald Trump’s tariff threats ahead of the summer resulted in excess inventory, distorting market dynamics, followed by a downturn when the 15 percent levies on European exports came into effect last August, Berton said.
Their impact was coupled with the depreciation of the dollar. “Our companies have been basically paying double tariffs. We are forced to live one day at a time,” she said.
Elsewhere, the performance has been two-pronged, with Asia and the Middle East proving a boon for bigger players but less representative and underexplored for SMEs. “Anfao is working on fostering the visibility and trade opportunities of smaller companies with these markets, and on finding new markets to explore. China has been showing sequential improvements and remains a strategic market, while India is a great prospect,” Berton offered.
Asked about the European Union trade deal with Mercosur — the South American bloc that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — Berton said it’s a not-to-be-missed opportunity.
On Wednesday the European Parliament voted to delay the deal’s ratification, referring the pact to the European Court of Justice to examine whether it is compatible with the bloc’s existing treaties.
“We have got strength with the Made in Italy brand, but we need to continue to accelerate on innovation, product know-how and be supported by policies that ensure market stability,” Berton noted.
Inside the 2025 edition of the Mido eyewear trade show.
Tullio M. Puglia/Courtesy of Mido
The upcoming Mido is bound to replicate the record-breaking attendance of both companies and visitors, equaling or even topping the 2025 edition of the eyewear trade show. About 1,200 exhibitors hailing from 50 countries, including 140 new firms, are taking over the Fieramilano Rho fairgrounds.
In 2025 the fair attracted 42,000 visitors.
“Mido is a leading event for the global eyewear industry, its primary engine,” Berton said. “It’s an international business platform where all companies converge, exchange ideas and ultimately walk out enriched.”
